Last week, Hélène concluded her busy summer period in Europe, which included performances at the Schleswig-Holstein Musik Festival with NDR Elbphilharmonie Orchester and in recital, and further performances at the Klavier Festival Ruhr with Jan Vogler. She received commendable reviews for all.

1st & 2nd July, Schleswig-Holstein Musik Festival / NDR / Thomas Hengelbrock
“It sounds organic, as the NDR Elbphilharmonie Orchester and Hélène Grimaud interweave motifs, which continue and evolve. In the third movement, the musicians bring Ravel’s wish to the audience: a concert must be cheerful and entertaining! In this presto, Hélène Grimaud’s hands are particularly engaging; her left hand jumps back and forth over the right for several measures, elegant, cheerful, light.” – NDR

“[Daphnis and Chloé] fits perfectly with the interpretation of the G-major piano concerto of Ravel, which is spiced with accents… The almost percussive and sovereign virtuosic clarity within the flashing series of cascades [was] melodically free.” – Kieler Nachrichten

8th July, Elmshorn Reithalle / Duo, Jan Vogler
“When Hélène Grimaud plays Debussy’s D minor sonata and Jan Vogler brings the strings of his cello to vibrate, one not only hears the strings, the sound and sound waves, but there is a lot more, which is almost indefinable. It is the pedal of the grand piano, which gives a subtle rhythm, it is the arc of delicate waves which go beyond the notes played on the cello. And it is, above all, the almost inexpressible expectation which lies in the deep chords, in the longest fermata, in the soft, gentle transitions somewhere between dissonance and consonance.” – shz

10th July, Klavier Festival Ruhr, Essen / Duo, Jan Vogler
“[It was] fascinating, as Grimaud and Vogler transformed Debussy’s Cello Sonata into a fragrant, light, poem of melodies, giving the instruments fine melodic lines and delicate colours. The opening of the Brahms was dreamy and light-hearted…” – Ruhrnachrichten